I dumped the clothes back into the bag, sorted them out, and got a larger suitcase out of bed. This one I had brought from home when my mother was in the hospital. After I had packed all my own things into the suitcase, my mother came back.

"Alexia, are you here? " Even though Florence Brown was in a wheelchair, she was feeling much better.

"Mom." I walked over to her and hugged her.

"Why don't you look bad? Sick?" asked Florence Brown worriedly.

"Well, I caught a cold and fever yesterday." I lied and smiled, "Mama, I want to tell you something."

Florence Brown saw the scarf tied...